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Hello and welcome.

I'm Jim Catalano, Race Director and Head Coach at Hunter Mountain in Hunter, NY. Maybe you’re wondering, “What do ski racing and the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network have to do with one another?”

Well, two years ago, my wife and I experienced a night that has changed our lives. Our son had eaten a bakery-purchased pizza dough that had something in it that caused him to go into Anaphylaxis. We had been aware of his severe allergies since he had reacted with hives and swelling to many foods that we introduced to him as an infant. Allergy testing revealed severe allergies to milk, peanuts, sesame, soy, berries, and we were told to keep him entirely away from any type of tree nut or shellfish. On the night that he had the dough, however, none of those ingredients were listed. On the label, it said only flour, water and salt. This is when we became aware of how trace amounts of foods, amounts that you can’t even see or smell, can make a severely allergic child have an anaphylactic reaction. When he began wheezing, we immediately dialed 911 and within a couple minutes the EMT's arrived, nebulized him with Albuterol and gave him a dose of epinephrine (Epi-Pen). He had to be observed in the emergency room for four more hours. That’s when we learned about how people can have rebound reactions, and can go back into anaphylaxis, even after they have recovered. He was given the steroid Prednisone and we had to continue to give him steroids and Benadryl for the next three days to make certain that his airways remained open. This was the most frightening experience of our lives.

Since that evening we have been exceedingly cautious with foods to make sure that he is safe and healthy. We have become diligent in his environment at home and away. We continue to educate and help people understand that this is not a lifestyle, but a medical reality. Our experiences have had their ups and downs, but we continue to educate ourselves and others. 

We know that our son is in good company. Through the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN) website, we learned that more than 12 million Americans have food allergies, including 3 million children. We also learned other invaluable information, such as how to interpret the increasingly complex ingredient labels on foods. Who knew there were so many other words for “milk” (casein, whey, etc.) other than just saying “milk”? We keep a list on the refrigerator of all of these terms, thanks to FAAN.

As I write this, our son is very healthy, vibrant, and has a good understanding of his situation. At three years old, he asks people what ingredients are in foods and gives any new food given to him to one of his parents to read the ingredients. 

So, here is where FAAN and I come together. On February 22, 2010, I am going to attempt to ski 100,000 vertical feet in one day at Hunter Mountain. 100% of the money raised for this event will go directly to support the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network's efforts in food allergy awareness, advocacy, education, and research. This is not a fundraiser for our son. This is a fundraiser for all people living with life-threatening allergies, in hopes of a cure. 

Please join me in supporting the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network by donating.

Thank you.
Jim Catalano

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